Friday, December 26, 2014
BBC News - Life choices 'behind more than four in 10 cancers'
Home World UK England N. Ireland Scotland Wales Business Politics Health Education Sci/Environment Technology Entertainment & Arts Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Continue reading the main story Related Stories Painkillers 'cut skin cancer risk' Cancer patients 'often unaccompanied' Related Internet links Cancer Research UK Top Stories Tsunami-hit nations mark anniversary Snow falls amid weather warnings Brain-dead pregnant woman 'can die' Urgent talks call over City Link Ukraine and rebels trade prisoners Services � Mobile � Connected TV � News feeds � Alerts � E-mail news For a better experience on your device, try our mobile site . More than four in 10 cancers - 600,000 in the UK alone - could be prevented if people led healthier lives, say experts. Latest figures from Cancer Research UK show smoking is the biggest avoidable risk factor, followed by unhealthy diets. The charity is urging people to consider their health when making New Year resolutions. Limiting alcohol intake and doing regular exercise is also good advice. According to the figures spanning five years from 2007 to 2011, more than 300,000 cases of cancer recorded were linked to smoking. A further 145,000 were linked to unhealthy diets containing too much processed food. Obesity contributed to 88,000 cases and alcohol to 62,200. Sun damage to the skin and physical inactivity were also contributing factors. Prof Max Parkin, a Cancer Research UK statistician based at Queen Mary University of London, said: "There's now little doubt that certain lifestyle choices can have a big impact on cancer risk, with research around the world all pointing to the same key risk factors. "Of course everyone enjoys some extra treats during the Christmas holidays so we don't want to ban mince pies and wine but it's a good time to think about taking up some healthy habits for 2015. "Leading a healthy lifestyle can't guarantee someone won't get cancer but we can stack the odds in our favour by taking positive steps now that will help decrease our cancer risk in future." Public Health England says a healthy lifestyle can play a vital role in reducing cancer risk. It says campaigns such as Smokefree, Dry January and Change4Life Sugar Swaps all aim to raise public awareness. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites Doctors are warning parents to be vigilant after seeing a spate of young children with loom bands stuck up their noses. How many hiccups in two-month attack, and 19 other questions Father and daughter rebuild their lives after tsunami grief Why the bourbon biscuit shares its name with bourbon whiskey Growth of short holiday lets alarms Paris authorities Dallas star hears how her fairy godmother part was written
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